A vacuum sweeper is neither a safe nor sound idea for a birthday present.

Giving the love of your life a tool that would continuously remind her that she’s the one handling the lion’s share of domestic chores is a good way to mar what should otherwise be a pleasant day. So kindly reject that suggestion, which was proffered by a supposedly knowledgeable gift-giving website.

There are some safer ideas for a birthday gift - or for any other holiday, actually. How about a mani-pedi – a manicure and pedicure? They’re very popular. And, you don’t have to go farther than the nearest strip mall to find someone willing to make her toes and fingers sparkle.

If you want to ramp it up a bit, you can send your loved one to a day spa. In addition to the mani-pedi, they can get a massage, a salt scrub, and a facial. Day spas are easily found as well. All you do is make the price arrangement – it’s better to buy a package deal than go a la carte – and then let her choose which day to settle in for some relaxation.

A jeweler friend of mine advises, conveniently, that something sparkly might be a good gift for such an occasion. It need not be anything extravagant; a birthstone might do perfectly well as a bracelet, or ring. (You might steer clear of earrings for the mere fact that they’re forever getting lost).

Gift.com has loads of items to order online. A favorite item is a set of stepping stones that can be personalized with the names of the kids, so every time your lady strolls through the garden she can be reminded of the family. Gift.com also offers flowers and sweets, both of which can be a big hit any time of year. They have different price points depending on the size of the bouquet or the number of chocolates involved in an order, but expect to pay a minimum of $40.

A personal favorite with me and especially my wife, is hand-made chocolate. In this instance it’s convenient to turn to Chocolaterie Stam, makers of Dutch-inspired fine chocolates who are based in Des Moines but have shops in six Midwestern states. They also have an online presence, stamchocolate.com. In person or over the internet, you can order anything from a $7.65 tasting kit (but hey, big spender, you can certainly afford more) to $70.42 for a 48-piece “grand jewel.” Take your pick on whether it’ll be dark or milk chocolate.

In a sign of the times, it appears that smart phones and tablets also are popping up as gift ideas. Ditto for gift cards, which really weren’t around 10 years ago, but now can be snapped up anywhere. The advantage here is that if you buy a gift card to a department store, she can shop for whatever she likes rather than you trying to guess whether she will like this color or that, or whether it will fit.

Whatever the gift, make sure you find one. This is not a day to be missed, and shows your appreciation for all the hard work that she’s done the other 364 days of the year.

Steve DinnenMr. Dinnen served as Sr. Business Reporter for the Des Moines Register, Business News Editor for the Indianapolis Star and served as Editor (freelance) for the Christian Science Monitor of its weekly personal finance column

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